Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

"Fionn, please retrieve the Holy Grail!"

Darnic reacted swiftly, pointing toward the Holy Grail as it was being drawn away by the suction force from the Hanging Gardens of Vanity.

"Leave it to me."

Fionn also understood that now was not the time for reminiscing. Without hesitation, he dashed toward the Holy Grail.

Seeing this, Karna attempted to intercept him but was blocked by Vlad III, Chiron, and Avicebron.

With his remarkable agility, Fionn scaled the castle walls and leaped toward the Holy Grail. He managed to grab it mid-air.

However, the suction force pulling the Holy Grail was far too powerful. Fionn was unable to break free and was pulled along with it.

"Boom!!!"

Suddenly, the earth shook violently, and a massive purple mass of flesh emerged near the castle. Waving its enormous tentacles, it reached toward the Holy Grail.

This grotesque creature was none other than Bluebeard's sea monster.

Bluebeard had disappeared during the earlier chaos, planning to sneak back into the castle to kill Sieg. However, the sudden arrival of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon had disrupted his plan.

When Bluebeard saw the Holy Grail appear, he immediately changed his objective.

He summoned the Prelati's Spellbook, unleashing his ultimate sea monster to seize the Holy Grail.

As the monster's massive tentacles reached out, Fionn was forced to abandon the Holy Grail and retreat to avoid being caught.

"Ka-ka…"

The Holy Grail was swiftly snatched by the sea monster. Using its immense strength, the creature resisted the suction force from the Hanging Gardens and quickly swallowed the Holy Grail into its body.

"Ahahaha! I've got it at last!"

Bluebeard, perched on his monstrous creation, let out a maniacal laugh. Seeing the Holy Grail in his possession filled him with unrestrained ecstasy.

"With this Holy Grail, I can finally keep my beloved saint by my side for eternity!"

Moreover, with the immense magical energy of the Holy Grail, his sea monster no longer required human sacrifices for sustenance. Its strength began to grow exponentially.

"Well done, Caster," Darnic said, smiling in satisfaction as he watched.

For the first time in a long while, it seemed they had a chance to turn the tide of the battle.

But just as he relaxed, the sea monster raised one of its massive tentacles and slammed it down toward Darnic.

"Look out!"

Chiron, quick on his feet, broke away from the ongoing battle and rushed to Darnic's side. Grabbing him, Chiron leapt away just in time to avoid the devastating blow.

With a single strike, the wall of Yggdmillennia's castle was obliterated.

"Bluebeard! Are you betraying us?!" Darnic roared in fury.

Bluebeard paid no heed to his words, instead continuing to command the sea monster to wreak havoc.

As the creature's relentless attacks threatened to reduce the castle to rubble, Darnic raised his left hand and invoked his final Command Spell.

"By the Command Spell, I order you, Bluebeard: do not turn against the Black Faction!"

The last remaining Command Spell on Darnic's hand vanished, and the sea monster's rampage came to an abrupt halt.

(There were originally three Command Spells for Bluebeard, but Chihiro had already used two, leaving only one when Bluebeard came under Darnic's control.)

Darnic could have used the Command Spell to order Bluebeard to self-destruct, but he had his own selfish reasons for holding back.

With the Black Faction's forces in dire straits, Bluebeard's overwhelming power was too valuable to waste.

"Damn it…"

Bluebeard cursed under his breath. His original plan had been to use the sea monster to destroy the castle and kill Sieg. But now, Darnic's Command Spell had tied his hands.

Still, Bluebeard was far from deterred. He had his own agenda, and now that he had the Holy Grail in his possession and no Command Spells binding him, nothing else mattered.

If he couldn't kill Sieg, then he would kill Chihiro instead.

The sea monster shifted its focus and began moving toward Chihiro's location.

"Boom!!!"

Before it could advance further, a barrage of fiery meteors rained down, striking the sea monster and forcing it to stagger.

It was Karna who had intervened.

Having watched the events of Fate/Zero, Karna immediately recognized the massive beast before him as one of Bluebeard's creations, a monstrous demon that thrived on devouring human lives.

As a heroic spirit bound by his code of honor, Karna could not allow such a creature to roam freely.

"Die! Anyone who dares to stop me will die!" Bluebeard bellowed furiously.

The sea monster lashed out with a flurry of tentacles, aiming to crush Karna.

With extraordinary agility, Karna evaded the onslaught, channeling his magic into his weapon. His golden spear blazed with flames, becoming a blade of pure destruction as he severed the tentacles one by one.

Yet, even as the tentacles were cut down, they regenerated almost instantly, showing no signs of weakening.

"O Brahma, illuminate the world!"

Karna stepped back, wiping his right eye with his hand. His eye suddenly ignited with divine energy, unleashing a powerful beam of light that shot directly toward the center of the sea monster.

A true hero needed no weapon; his very gaze was enough to obliterate his enemies.

The attack pierced straight through the sea monster, leaving a gaping hole.

However, even this devastating blow proved ineffective. The wound healed within moments, as though nothing had happened.

"Missed the mark," Karna muttered, frowning.

He had assumed that Bluebeard was hiding within the center of the sea monster, but the attack had revealed otherwise.

"Chihiro! I will kill you today!" Bluebeard roared, his voice filled with maddened rage.

Bluebeard was held back by Karna, unable to escape. Desperate to kill Chihiro, Bluebeard revealed no hesitation in unleashing his hidden trump card: the item he had obtained from a treasure chest the day before.

A summoning circle appeared, glowing ominously, and moments later, a colossal beast descended from the sky, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

The creature resembled a lizard, its body covered in jagged, rock-like scales bristling with sharp, stone-like barbs. Standing over ten meters tall, its sheer size was comparable to a small mountain.

"That's… the Beast of Billows!"

Fionn, who had just descended into the city to regroup with Darnic, froze in shock at the sight of the massive beast.

Curruid, a legendary sea monster from Celtic mythology, was said to embody the majesty of a sea god. Its roar alone could summon devastating tornadoes. According to legend, the "Gáe Bolg" wielded by Cú Chulainn was crafted from the skull of this very beast.

The item Bluebeard had obtained the day before was a magical relic called the Beast of Billows. Its ability was to summon the mythical sea monster to fight.

However, summoning Curruid required an immense amount of magical energy. Without the Holy Grail in his possession, Bluebeard would never have been able to use it.

"Go, Beast of Billows! Kill Chihiro!" Bluebeard bellowed.

"Roooaaar…"

Responding to Bluebeard's command, the Beast of Billows let out a guttural growl and charged toward Chihiro with thunderous steps.

Faced with such a massive opponent, Chihiro and Achilles immediately ceased their battle. Simultaneously, Chihiro recalled the Universe Ring and ended his engagement with Atalanta.

"Let's get out of here first," Atalanta said as she swiftly retreated, taking advantage of the situation.

She had no intention of risking her life for Chihiro.

"Understood, big sister. You go on ahead," Achilles replied, his tone laced with excitement as he assumed a combat stance.

"Wait—" Atalanta started to warn him, realizing he had misunderstood her, but it was already too late.

"Dromeus Komētēs!"

Achilles activated his Noble Phantasm, accelerating to a blinding speed as he charged straight at the Beast of Billows.

"Boom!!!"

With a thunderous crash, Achilles rammed into the creature's forelimbs, causing the massive beast to stagger and nearly fall. The monster let out an enraged roar, its balance momentarily disrupted.

"Hahaha! Let's see how strong you are, big guy!" Achilles taunted, dashing around the Beast of Billows at incredible speed, testing its reflexes.

The massive creature swung its claws wildly, trying to strike Achilles, but its sluggish movements were no match for his unparalleled speed.

"Honestly…" Atalanta sighed in exasperation. Shaking her head, she quickly retreated to safety, glaring briefly at Chihiro before disappearing from the battlefield.

Chihiro, unfazed by Atalanta's departure, dismissed his armor with a sigh.

He understood that both Karna and Achilles had inadvertently become obstacles for Bluebeard, buying him precious time. However, Chihiro knew that once Kotomine Shirou realized what was happening, he would undoubtedly order his Servants to stop interfering.

"I need to act quickly," Chihiro muttered to himself.

At that moment, he sensed another presence approaching.

Turning to look, he saw Mordred.

Mordred and Sisigou had arrived some time ago and had been watching the battle unfold from a distance.

However, the appearance of the sea monster had finally pushed Mordred to act.

Inspired by her desire to emulate her father, King Arthur, Mordred was determined to slay the monster herself and prove her strength.

Ignoring Sisigou's protests, she donned her armor and charged toward the battlefield with unrestrained enthusiasm.

"Where's my father? Why isn't she here?" Mordred demanded as she arrived, her tone filled with irritation.

Her entire purpose for coming was to show off her strength in front of King Arthur. What was the point if her father wasn't around to see it?

"Don't worry," Chihiro said calmly. "She's here too, but she's elsewhere on the battlefield."

"Fine. As long as she's watching, that's all that matters," Mordred said, a grin spreading across her face. "Father will definitely appreciate my heroic deeds!"

Meanwhile, Karna continued to engage the sea monster.

The Beast of Billows grew larger and more powerful with each passing moment, its strength fueled by the Holy Grail's immense magical energy.

Recognizing the threat, Karna realized he couldn't afford to waste any more time. He prepared to activate his Noble Phantasm;

O Brahma, watch over me. Again, suffer my Noble Phantasm.

This spear has gorged itself on my armor and still yet hungers.

You sea monster will be destroyed to ashes with this one strike.

Vasavi S-

However, just as Karna was about to unleash his full power, Kotomine Shirou's voice rang out.

"Lancer, stop. Don't engage the monster any further. Let it go."

Karna frowned, his spear still glowing with divine energy. "You want me to let this monster go?"

"Yes," Kotomine Shirou replied calmly. "Its target is Chihiro. There's no need for us to intervene. Let them fight it out. Both sides will weaken each other, making our job easier."

"But this demon beast is growing stronger. If we let it continue unchecked, even I may not be able to destroy it later," Karna warned.

"It won't last long," Kotomine Shirou assured him. "We'll keep an eye on it and destroy it with a single blow when the time is right."

Karna remained silent for a moment before finally lowering his spear. "…Understood."

Reluctantly, Karna withdrew from the battle and began to distance himself from the sea monster.

***

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